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Happy Birthday, Constitution!
Today is Constitution Day, commemorating the 220th anniversary of the day the U.S. Constitution was signed after a hot summer of debate in Philadelphia. See more at the National Constitution Center.
“After being signed in September of 1787, Congress sent printed copies of the Constitution to the state legislatures for ratification. In the months that followed, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay would write the Federalist Papers in support, while Patrick Henry, Elbridge Gerry, and George Mason would organize the opposition to the new Constitution. By June 21, 1788, nine states had approved the Constitution, finally forming "a more perfect Union."
“No matter how much we argue about the details of its meaning today, in the opinion of many, the Constitution signed in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787 represents the greatest expression of statesmanship and compromise ever written. In just four hand-written pages, the Constitution gives us no less than the owners' manual to the greatest form of government the world has ever known. (Source: About.com U.S. Gov Info.
The Week Ahead
It’s mid-September, with nice late-summer weather. Lack of crowds make it a terrific time to get out to the mountains, deserts, lakes and streams.
It’s a busy week for state legislators. Dozens of topics will be covered in committee and task force meetings this week, beginning with three meetings Tuesday and a full slate of interim committee meetings on Wednesday. See the legislative calendar for all the meetings and links to agendas. Highlights include a focus on health care and affordable insurance at the Business & Labor Interim Committee, energy independence and nuclear energy at the Public Utilities & Technology Interim Committee, and school district splits/equalization of school capital outlay funding at the Equalization Task Force. For the week’s other political activities, see the UtahPolicy.com calendar.
Nuclear Energy: Green Enough?
In an interview with Sierra Club Radio, Vanessa Pierce, executive director of Heal Utah, discusses "why nuclear energy is not really a green option." Other environmentalists, however, support nuclear energy. Said Patrick Moore, founder of Greenpeace:
“Renewable energies, such as wind, geothermal and hydro are part of the solution. Nuclear energy is the only non-greenhouse gas-emitting power source that can effectively replace fossil fuels and satisfy global demand.”
And former EPA administrator Christine Todd Whitman makes a case for nuclear power in a Sept. 17 BusinessWeek essay. “...nuclear is efficient and reliable. It’s also clean, emitting no greenhouse gases or regulated air pollutants, while generating electricity. … Love it or not, expanding nuclear energy makes both environmental and business sense,” Whitman writes.
Today in Political History
Sept. 17, 1787: The Constitution of the United States is signed by 39 men after a summer of debate. It is then sent to the states for ratification. (Source: National Archives)
Sept. 17, 1796: President George Washington delivers his "Farewell Address" to the press before concluding his second term in office. (Source: Perspicuity)
Wise Words
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
-- Preamble to the U.S. Constitution), signed 220 years ago today.
Leadership Tip
Why So Hard To Say 'Well Done'?
By Matthew Kirdahy
Businesses small and large have always had difficulty retaining talent. Employees enter and exit companies on the same basic premise, maximizing the latest opportunity with the best pay.
Supervisors, managers and anyone else in charge of hiring, in their complacency, accept this turnover as the norm even when it could be a clear indicator that maybe people aren't satisfied and would have stayed with the company for something as simple as the occasional pat on the back. According to some studies and one author, that's worth its weight in gold. (Read the entire tip in Forbes.com)
National Politics
Best Stories From …
-- Washington Post: Moderate Republican lawmakers facing tough reelection bids "reacted with grave concern to the president's call [Thursday night] for only modest troop reductions and no dramatic change of mission in Iraq."
-- USA Today: "Congressional Democrats vowed Thursday to press for steeper troop reductions in Iraq than President Bush wants, but the top Senate Republican predicted they won't have the votes to alter the White House proposal."
-- Arizona Republic: Sen. John McCain's financially struggling presidential campaign appears headed out of the red and into the black. McCain, R-Ariz., and a top campaign official say his leaner operation, for the first time this year, had cash left at the end of the month in July and August."
-- Washington Times: "The California Legislative Black Caucus decided [Thursday] to endorse Sen. Barack Obama's presidential bid, giving him organizing ability and a political boost in the biggest prize on the primary map."
Lighter Side
"Silence is one of the hardest arguments to refute."
-- Josh Billings (Salt Lake Tribune cryptoquote) |
